I feel bad
 

Feeding smaller fish to bigger fish. Is this wrong or is this an acceptable
practice, even if it's my fault for letting them breed in the first place.
I simply don't have any room for them.

Don't get discouraged by man's definition of humane treatement when trying
to replicate nature. Nature is much more vicious and unmerciful than we
often would admit.

Justin

"miufg" wrote in message
...
Feeding smaller fish to bigger fish. Is this wrong or is this an
acceptable
practice, even if it's my fault for letting them breed in the first place.
I simply don't have any room for them.

Aquarists do it all the time. Even when you DO intend to breed it is
necessary to cull some of the stock.

"IDzine01" wrote in message
oups.com...
Aquarists do it all the time. Even when you DO intend to breed it is
necessary to cull some of the stock.

When my first Platy gave birth in the main tank I was very excited but most
of the fry were eaten...in fact I believed they all had been. Then we
suddenly spotted a new fish that has now grown to around 1/2 " now and
totally holds his own - survival of the fittest I guess.

Like you, and I think most people, the fry being eaten by their bigger
companions can be distressing or at the very least cause a moral dilema -
after all we don't keep fish to see them die. The next batch were born in a
breeder tank which later had my son's Molly off-spring transferred to it as
well. The situation I have now is that I have around 20+ fry in a 5 gall
tank and what happens when they grow? My LFS will take them from me now but
I rather suspect just to sell on as feeder fish - so now my question is why
should someone-elses fish benefit?

Just this once, we are going to stick with growing our fry and try to find
them good homes. Practically speaking unless every wall in the house fills
with tanks of Mollies and Platys we can never keep all of them. In future,
they take their chances in the tank - after all at least one survived this
way and if he can cope with life in the big, bad tank he must be
healthy...others might survive and at least they will be strong. Nature is
very cruel....All we can do is the best for our fish. Another consideration
with keeping the fry is the probability of inbreeding which will eventually
result in weakened stock - especially with Live Bearers who it appears to me
will breed at the drop of a hat.

Gill

In article , "Gill Passman"
gillspamattaylorpassmanspam.co.uk says...
When my first Platy gave birth in the main tank I was very excited but most
of the fry were eaten...in fact I believed they all had been. Then we
suddenly spotted a new fish that has now grown to around 1/2 " now and
totally holds his own - survival of the fittest I guess.

I recently had the same experience. Initially about 20 fry that all
disappeared. Then a week or two ago we noticed 2 still around. One
about 1/4" and looking pretty healthy, the other a little smaller and
frailer looking. It's wait and see time now :-).

--
Homo sapiens is a goal, not a description

miufg wrote:
Feeding smaller fish to bigger fish. Is this wrong or is this an acceptable
practice, even if it's my fault for letting them breed in the first place.
I simply don't have any room for them.


Funny how many people spay/neuter mammalian pets to avoid killing or
finding homes for kittens or puppies but how few worry about killing
fish fry.

If it feels wrong to you, it's wrong. I generally don't set up breeding
situations unless I intend to raise the fry. I simply keep only one sex
of livebearer at once and keep cichlids who are likely to breed and
successfully hatch their eggs as solo fish (unless I can sex them to get
one gender). Besides, all hell breaks loose in a previously peaceful
community aquarium when cichlids decide to breed so there's some common
sense here as well.

You could probably take either your males or females and fry to LFS.

BTW, I mean no criticism to those who use feeder fish or have posted
that nature is cruel. This is very true and my post reflects only my
opinion. The key is to find ones own personal level of comfort.

--
__ Elaine T __
__' http://eethomp.com/fish.html '__

"The key is to find ones own personal level of comfort."

Very True...
This is supposed to be a hobby. (defined as something done for enjoyment
that competes as the largest financial sinkhole the budget can afford.)

Justin


"Elaine T" wrote in message
m...
miufg wrote:
Feeding smaller fish to bigger fish. Is this wrong or is this an
acceptable
practice, even if it's my fault for letting them breed in the first
place.
I simply don't have any room for them.


Funny how many people spay/neuter mammalian pets to avoid killing or
finding homes for kittens or puppies but how few worry about killing
fish fry.

If it feels wrong to you, it's wrong. I generally don't set up breeding
situations unless I intend to raise the fry. I simply keep only one sex
of livebearer at once and keep cichlids who are likely to breed and
successfully hatch their eggs as solo fish (unless I can sex them to get
one gender). Besides, all hell breaks loose in a previously peaceful
community aquarium when cichlids decide to breed so there's some common
sense here as well.

You could probably take either your males or females and fry to LFS.

BTW, I mean no criticism to those who use feeder fish or have posted
that nature is cruel. This is very true and my post reflects only my
opinion. The key is to find ones own personal level of comfort.

--
__ Elaine T __
__' http://eethomp.com/fish.html '__

It's especially difficult explaining this to a 6-year-old and an
8-year-old. "The big fish - even the parents - eat the babies. . . "
Although I know that it's a natural thing for fish, and it doesn't
bother me personally (free live food!), I nonetheless changed the guppy
tank to a unisex tank to stop the kids getting upset. Sigh. But I am
glad of their sensitivity. :-)

- Lisa in Central Coast CA

"miufg" wrote in message
...
Feeding smaller fish to bigger fish. Is this wrong or is this an
acceptable
practice, even if it's my fault for letting them breed in the first place.
I simply don't have any room for them.

You should not feel bad, you are observing nature in action.

I sell literally several million bait and feeder fish each year, and they
all get ate.

JOhn

"miufg" wrote...
Feeding smaller fish to bigger fish. Is this wrong or is this an
acceptable
practice, even if it's my fault for letting them breed in the first place.
I simply don't have any room for them.

i have in the past bred platties for the sole purpose of feeding the fry to
my angels and tiger barbs. it is a decission that only you can decide if it
is right or wrong.